The second-generation HoloLens, first unveiled at Mobile World Congress earlier this year in Barcelona, still doesn’t have a firm release date yet, although it appears that’s about to change pretty soon.

As reported by Reuters, Microsoft’s executive vice president Harry Shum took the stage at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai yesterday, saying that HoloLens 2 will go on sale sometime in September.

When asked to clarify Shum’s reported launch announce, Microsoft issued this statement to several outlets, including Engadget and Tech Radar:

“As we announced in February, Microsoft HoloLens 2 will begin shipping later this year. We have started collecting expressions of interest for HoloLens 2 preorders and, as part of our standard practice for gathering feedback, have shared near-final prototypes with some customers, but have not announced a date for general availability.”

Important to note is the company didn’t disavow the executive flub outright, which could mean Shum simply shared launch plans that weren’t cleared for a public audience. Considering Microsoft admits to having shared near-final versions of the headset with its earliest customers, at the very least it’s clear we’re getting very close to a general launch.

Image courtesy Microsoft

The company’s second standalone AR headset boasts a few important upgrades over the original, although it brings much more than just a bigger FOV. It has better ergonomics, better hand-tracking, better object interaction, and includes both eye-tracking and voice input. Check out our in-depth hands-on with HoloLens 2 for more.

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Priced at $3,500, it’s doing all of that at a slightly higher price than the original, which launched in mid-2016 for $3,000. This of course puts both headsets well outside the reach of consumers, placing it squarely in the realm of the enterprise sector, although a general launch will undoubtedly bring HoloLens 2 into the hands of early developers eager to explore just what material benefits the company’s latest AR headset brings to the table.

And while Microsoft seriously misrepresented HoloLens 2’s FOV at its unveiling, getting it into the hands of unbiased devs should shows us exactly what the headset is capable of outside the manicured demos we saw at MWC 2019.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • JesuSaveSouls

    It needs to be priced like ten times cheaper or possibly thirty.350 not 3500.Jesusavesouls !

    • Gerald Terveen

      do you think it will turn into a better business if they lose $3000 on every unit sold?

      • I’m not sure whether anyone is arguing we should be there already, but I don’t think there’s much argument whether mass adoption relies on a price about on par with consoles.

      • JesuSaveSouls

        I don’t think it costs them what their asking to make each unit.Fov compared to vr is so small.The lenovo mirage av which only played star wars Jedi challenges was a very good ar experience but you needed your own phone.Almost any basic flagship phone worked and the headset itself only was priced in the end at 50 bucks.

        • Gerald Terveen

          I don’t think they are running a profit on these units. Please read up on the technology behind the glasses to get an idea how different they are from the cheaper solutions available.
          That said – I might be wrong and they might have a few hundred bucks of a margin for profit on each unit – but very clearly not $3000 bucks.
          At this point I don’t think adoption would be impacted a lot if they go down 500 bucks.
          These are tools to start developing content, not the products to conquer the markets.

        • Kim from Texas

          Keep in mind that HoloLens include built-in PC (unlike most VR goggles where you have to buy a separate PC).

        • asdfasdfasdf

          goddamn youre a fing moron. it doesnt come down to cost of materials for this product, they have tow weigh in allll the research and development that got them to this point. youre greedy as fuck for being “Christian”.

          • JesuSaveSouls

            I pray for you to find peace in your mind,heart and soul through a complete and fulfilling relationship through Jesus God’s Son.

  • VirtualRealityNation

    20 years ago a Flat screen TV would set you back $20,000. Now you could pick up one for less than a good bottle of tequila. Prices will come down considerably. I don’t think Microsoft will even make money on these at $3,500. Their R&D costs have to be huge. But establishing their dominance in the AR enterprise area will pay off in the long run.

    • Peter K

      well said!

  • If they have not denied the rumor directly, then most probably it is true!